


All that lies before you

by Ephemera_pop (Alex_Draven)



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, Popslash
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, M/M, ancient gods in the contemporary world
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-11-09
Updated: 2005-11-09
Packaged: 2018-10-16 21:02:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10579431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alex_Draven/pseuds/Ephemera_pop
Summary: When you're becoming famous, you meet the most interesting people ...





	

**Author's Note:**

> [](http://pensnest.livejournal.com/profile)[**pensnest**](http://pensnest.livejournal.com/) wished for [nsync / greek gods stories](http://www.livejournal.com/community/fic_requests/121353.html). I sat down to write a little snippet, and four thousand words later, I seem to have a story. Beta Team Alpha have been their usual fantastic selves, with extra help this time from [](http://madame-d.livejournal.com/profile)[**madame_d**](http://madame-d.livejournal.com/) , and Greek language advice from [](http://giogio.livejournal.com/profile)[**giogio**](http://giogio.livejournal.com/). All remaining mistakes are my own fault.

_1997, Ithaca._

The party was amazing – even by the standards of some of the events Lou had arranged for them to go to elsewhere in Europe. It was like a whole different _world_ , all glittering and fabulous. They’d all moaned when he’d couriered across a set of matching tuxes, but now they were here Lance was deeply grateful for the uniform. Nothing from his own luggage would have been half smart enough. He wasn’t quite sure who the wealthy birthday girl _was_ , despite having had their brief turn on the stage to sing Happy Birthday to her, but even the fifteen year olds were wearing suits and long dresses. They were rich enough and polished enough to seem like a completely different species from any other teenagers Lance had ever met, even the scarily professional kids he’d seen at auditions.

Although some of the guests who weren’t fifteen at all turned out to be really cool, and he was having a very good night. Even though none of them could even say hello in their host’s language – Greek was on Lance’s list to learn, but well after Spanish and French, which were due just as soon as he mastered German – all five of them were scattered around the party, and Lance had spent at least the last twenty minutes with this absolutely stunning guy, which in his book, completely counted as a good thing. He was really cool, and he’d come over and started talking to Lance, like he’d actually been interested in him, and he had an accent and this really rich bass voice that was so easy to listen to. They’d been enthusing to each other about the latest jet-skis they’d had the chance to use and how fun it was to go riding on the beach, even if Lance had only had the chance to do that for a video shoot so far. He’d even said that, one day, Lance and the guys should come over to his private island to relax properly, which was pretty mind-blowing when he thought about it. Lance wasn’t quite sure if it was the glasses of unfamiliar sweet wine that kept appearing in his hand or the guy’s company that was making his head spin.

There was no doubt at all that Joey was at least halfway drunk when he appeared at Lance’s shoulder, tie long gone and collar open. Although from the arm around his neck and the flushed cheeks of both Joey and the young man he’d dragged over, that might not have just been the drink either.

“Lance! This is Dion!” Joey announced, and then leant in so that Lance got the full force of his wine-soaked breath to whisper, “He’s fucking beautiful, isn’t he?”

“Glad you noticed,” Lance’s new friend rumbled, in an affectionate tone. Joey blinked at him. “He’s my nephew.”

“Uncle!” Dion whined, rolling his eyes. “Don’t tease Joey.” The young man followed that up with a quick burst of Greek, while Joey and Lance looked at each other. Lance was pretty much stuck on the thought that Phillip didn’t look old enough to be anyone’s uncle.

“Anyway,” Dion returned to English. “We’re being rude to our new friends. Lance, it’s a pleasure to meet you, and Joey, this is my uncle.”

“Call me Phillip,” The older man interrupted, earning another glare from Dion.

“And we were just on our way out to the terrace, so…” Dion tugged on Joey’s elbow, where Joey was clutching a dark wine bottle, and Joey raised his other hand in a little wriggly-fingered gesture of ‘bye’. Phillip was smiling when Lance looked back.

“Your friend looks happy,” he observed.

Lance felt himself blushing a little, not at all sure what to say. Phillip’s laugh was full and round and absolutely mortifying.

“Oh, you Americans and your hang ups. It’s good, boy, it’s all good. Where are the rest of your little group – maybe we should do the formal introductions before I try and make you blush like that again.”

Lance scanned the room quickly, glad for the excuse to avoid eye contact a little longer. Chris wasn’t far away, picking at a bowl of olives and deep in conversation with a tall elegant woman in a tailored dress uniform and a slight young man whose arms were flying as he regaled them with some tale or other about life on the road. JC he spotted leaning against the grand piano. Lance recognized his expression of intent focus, and spared a glance for the young man playing in harmonious counterpoint to the string quartet on the stage although he couldn’t see much more than broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a riot of golden curls. Absolutely JC’s type then.

“Actually…” Lance trailed off when a wide hand settled on his shoulder.

“I was teasing, Lance,” Phillip reassured him. “Unless you would prefer that I wasn’t. Of course, if you want to escape …”

“No!” Lance was sure his reaction was clumsy, but he’d had enough wine to be absolutely certain that what he really didn’t want was anything that involved moving away from this fascinating man. “I’m sorry. I was just … it’s good to keep an eye open for your friends sometimes, you know?”

“Of course.” Phillip inclined his head, so his hair swept forward a little, drawing attention to blue-green eyes that Lance was having trouble looking away from.

“Um.” He forced himself to speak, and then realized he didn’t know what came next.

“Perhaps we should visit the buffet table? You seem a little light headed.” Phillip filled the silence, all warm concern and gentle teasing.

“I’m fine. Really. Although – maybe some fresh air? Did Dion say there was a terrace?”

“Of course. It’s rather nice, actually – right out on the cliff, looking out to sea. Let’s.” Phillip offered his arm, and Lance tried not to blush as he slipped his arm into the older man’s. It felt old-fashioned and a little awkward, but no one seemed to notice as they passed groups of chattering guests. The warm solid press of the man’s muscled body against Lance’s certainly wasn’t helping to clear his head any, although it was providing some very interesting flashes of future possibilities.

The sight of Justin in a dim corner across the room, clutching two glasses against his chest, with a much older bearded man leaning one hand on the wall above Justin’s shoulder certainly sobered Lance up. Everything about the body language screamed trouble to Lance, and all JC and Chris’s earnest warnings flashed through his mind. He’d stopped automatically, and Phillip followed his gaze, coughing discretely to draw Lance’s attention back to him.

“One of your friends?”

“Yes,” Lance hissed, pulling away slightly. “I should ..”

“Possibly we both should.” Phillip’s tone of voice only convinced Lance that there was something off about the situation, and together they started to work their way through the press towards the corner.

“Brother!” Phillip hailed loudly as they got close, and the tall bearded man swung around, looking furious for a second before he registered the presence of other guests. Justin was edging away already, eyes locked on Lance’s and telegraphing discomfort and gratitude. Normally Justin was too experienced to let himself get cornered that way, but it wasn’t the first and it probably wouldn’t be the last time a benefactor got a little too friendly with the group’s youngest star.

“Brother,” Phillip repeated, when they were close enough that he could clap his brother on the shoulder. “It’s been too long – I didn’t know you were here! – This is Lance, by the way, he sings with this young man, I believe.”

“Justin, Justin Timberlake.” Justin shoved the glasses at Lance and offered his hand, shaking his company manners back to the surface. “It’s a pleasure, sir.”

“Justin,” Phillip acknowledged, before turning back to his brother and letting loose a barrage of Greek, which to Lance’s ears sounded angry, although the bland smile never left his face. His brother, though, looked thunderous.

A slight, dark haired girl appeared, joining in the quick-flowing Greek debate, and a couple of seconds later, Phillip reached out to draw her closer, and returned the conversation to English. “Thank you. Justin, this is my niece, Artemis. Would you be so kind as to escort her on the dance floor? She’ll be angry with me for telling you that her ex beau is here, but it would set my mind at rest to know she had a gentleman like yourself to accompany her.”

Artemis went to speak, only to be silenced by Phillip’s raised hand as he waited for Justin’s response.

“Of course, sir. If you …” Justin glanced towards Artemis, who gave him a small smile and accepted his outstretched hand.

“Thank you, Justin.”

Phillip gestured towards the dance floor, and the two of them slipped away through the guests, her full-skirted silver dress flaring out as her hips twisted.

“I’m getting a drink,” Phillip’s brother announced without further preamble, and if the set of his shoulders was furious, at least he was stomping off in the opposite direction to the one Justin and his girl had taken.

It was odd, Lance thought, that Phillip hadn’t known his brother was here – he seemed to be related to everyone. “Is the birthday girl your niece too?” he asked, determined to avoid dwelling on the confrontation.

“What? Oh, no – I knew her yaya, Aethra”. He seemed absent, staring after the departing figure of his brother.

“Excuse me?”

Phillip shook his head, and cupped his hand around Lance’s elbow. “Her grandmother – wonderful woman. Long since passed, sadly.”

Oh. “Oh. I just thought – you seem to be related to everyone! Such a large family –“

“Yes. It’s quite the coincidence; everyone seems to be here tonight.”

Lance had grown up far enough south to recognize the tone of a polite shut-down, regardless of accent. This was not how he wanted his very cool evening with the very cool - and hot - man to end. He took a deep breath and looked back up at Phillip. “I’m sorry.”

Phillip shook his head. “No, Lance, it is I who should apologize. My niece will take good care of your friend, although I think that if I’d told him that he wouldn’t have been so eager to whisk her off, no?”

“Maybe not,” Lance had to agree with a smile.

“So, shall we continue?”

“I would like that, I think.”

“You only think?” Phillip teased, taking Lance’s arm again. “I shall have to do better than that.”

Fizzy wine bubbling in his brain was Lance’s only excuse for brushing his fingers over the back of the older man’s hand and leaning closer to half whisper. “Can I tell you a secret? You’re doing very, very well.”

He was sure he was blushing again from the way Phillip looked at him as they slowly walked, dancing eyes under heavy dark lashes, and no teasing at all in the way he carefully wrapped his full lips around the word ‘good.’

*****

The waves crashed far below on sharp black rocks, and the night sky was bright with stars, so far from any cities, with only low globes of candlelight around them, and Lance was drunk and loose-limbed and so hungry for this his heart ached. Phillip’s kisses were raw power reigned back with care and his lips were salt-sweet, and his fingers dug into Lance’s hips hard enough they were bound to leave smudges of bruise in the morning, holding Lance firm between the marble wall and the rock solid heat of his erection, allowing only the small wanton movements Lance couldn’t stop himself from making as he moaned into the kisses, and after his own orgasm had swept over him, there were long minutes of gentle petting and soothing kisses before Lance let himself be led to Phillip’s room.

*****

The blissful interval between waking up and achieving full consciousness was just that - blissful. Lance stretched luxuriously, skin sliding over silk sheets, and traced his fingers over Phillip’s heavily muscled chest, half watching the play of light and shadow on the white ceiling, dancing reflections of water somewhere.

Unfortunately full consciousness, and the realization that he’d spent the whole night here and that Lou was going to kill him stone cold dead, arrived shortly after, and the involuntary tensing of his muscles disturbed his host.

Phillip sighed and stretched, pushing the royal blue sheets away, and Lance’s eyes followed automatically - at least if he was going to die it was for a good cause. He still could hardly believe this god of a man had picked him to seduce.

“Mmmmm. Good morning, Lance.” Phillip rolled onto his elbow to kiss Lance, the dark stubble of his beard coarse on Lance’s cheek.

“Very.” Lance couldn’t help but smile. Death or no death, this was good. “Although I’m going to be in so much trouble when I get back to the hotel. I didn’t tell anyone I was going to …” He gestured between them, unsure what to call it that wouldn’t make him sound young and inexperienced.

“Of course – you have minders, yes? It will be fine, I’m sure. We should bathe, but I’ll drive you back, if you like.”

“Really? That would be fantastic. But I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”

“Lance, Lance.” Phillip echoed his calming words with blunt fingers tracing Lance’s collar-bone. "It’s nothing. A pleasure, in fact.”

“Well, if you’re sure.”

“I am.”

A kiss seemed like the suitable reply. It was really hard to remember to panic about his imminent slow and painful death when he was kissing Phillip and feeling his big body moving beneath him.

When they finally accomplished cleaning as well as kissing in the shower, and Lance had done his best to make last night’s suit look at least semi-respectable, Phillip led the way downstairs, moving around the house as though he owned it. The place seemed deserted, although Lance no longer had any idea if it was early or late.

Outside, the morning sun was painfully bright, bouncing off the whitewashed walls and crisp marble, so it took Lance a few seconds to realize that Phillip was leading him towards the back of the house, not the sweeping driveway. Phillip turned back, brilliant sunlight sparkling off the water below him, and reached out to take Lance’s hand one more time.

“Come on – I told you I’d get you back with no trouble.”

Lance stumbled after him, down the steps cut into the rock, and landed in his arms at the bottom, both of them smiling, hands roaming. Phillip nibbled at Lance’s neck, making him squirm to escape, which left him face to face with the gleaming motor boat tied to the small wooden dock.

“No shit!” he exclaimed, turning back to Phillip, no doubt with an idiotic grin in place.

“No, indeed. You like her, then?”

“Man, yeah!” His hands were itching to stroke that gleaming woodwork already.

Phillip hopped in casually, riding out the rocking like it was nothing, holding out a hand to assist Lance on board. Lance folded himself onto the bench seat, wrapped in the scent of new leather while Phillip flipped levers and checked dials, and then blew him a kiss before firing the engines.

It was like flying, the purring throb of the powerful engines, and the slap and spray of the waves, crystal in the sun, and Phillip handled the small boat like a pro, casual and relaxed, the wind taking his hair and pressing his loose cotton shirt back against his chest.

So very worth getting yelled at about.

They circled and idled to a stop next to a steep rocky cliff. “Your hotel’s up those steps.” Phillip pointed. “If you go through the terrace doors, no one will see you coming in.”

Lance nodded, a little dazed, and toed his shoes off. The whole thing seemed so – unreal. The fingers either side of his face and the hot salt lips broke the moment.

“Go, Lance, and enjoy all that’s coming to you. I won’t forget you, you know.”  
  
By the time Lance had climbed all the steps the cuffs of his trousers were almost dry, and he did, indeed, make it back to his room without encountering anyone from the group. It was much later when Joey knocked on his door, still wearing his very rumpled tux, grinning and wanting to tell Lance all about his evening.

*****

_2005, Los Angeles._

Lance was bored. The party was distinctly average, and neither of the key people he’d been hoping to casually run into seemed to be making an appearance after all. He was actually thinking about leaving when he caught sight of a broad pair of shoulders in an impeccably tailored jacket. Something about the man tugged at Lance’s memories, so he was watching when the man turned away from the group he was chatting with to summon a waiter, and as soon as Lance saw his profile it all clicked. Lance began working his way across the room, leading with the glass in his right hand.

“Phillip!” Lance called softly from a half pace behind the man, who turned and gave him a very flattering once over before recognition dawned. “It is you! You haven’t changed a bit!”

“Lance! My young singer!” Phillip’s eyes dipped again, as flirtatious as he had been all those years ago, and he really hadn’t changed – different hair cut, but no grey or additional wrinkles in his suntanned skin. “And you have, all for the better. Things have gone well for you, I hear.”

Lance inclined his head. He never really knew what to say when people said that sort of thing without there being a cutting edge anywhere obvious. Perhaps it was naiveté but he’d like to believe this man wasn’t being sarcastic.

“Very. How about you? I didn’t expect … You know Paris?”

“Paris Kassidokostas, yes. I have done a lot of business with his father over the years. His fiancée - not yet, but if she’s joining the family it’s only a matter of time.”

“I could introduce you?” Lance found himself offering, feeling all of seventeen.

“You could, but later? I should like to talk a little – perhaps the garden?”

“Of course.”

Lance followed eagerly.

*****

It was an earthquake that woke them both. Not a big one, but enough to send one of the glasses on the windowsill over the edge, and the sound of breaking glass startled Lance awake, to ride out the shake. When the room stilled, he flicked on the bedside light, to find Phillip grinning back at him.

“You enjoyed that!” Lance accused, his own answering smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. His house was as safe as it could be made, so the small shakes just gave him a kick. It was one of the reasons he’d moved to LA that he didn’t normally tell people about, but the adrenalin rush always gave him a boost. He’d had rows with partners about his unholy glee after a quake before now.

Phillip was braced with one hand on the wall above the bed, a position that showed off the definition of his muscles nicely, and one where he’d have been able to feel every tremor. He nodded.

“Of course. It is good to be reminded that we are alive, no? Of the power of nature.”

Lance flopped back onto the pillows and laughed. After a while, when the laughter was mostly soft shaking breaths, the mattress shifted and Phillip’s face appeared above him. Lance reached up to draw his thumb across Phillip’s full lips, curling the backs of his fingers over the neatly groomed beard. Phillip smiled and snapped at Lance’s fingers, sucking hard and fast when he caught them, and he was every bit as playful and as sexy as Lance had remembered and fantasized.

“God, you’re amazing,” he breathed.

“You’re quite something too, Lance.” Phillip’s mood seemed to sober a little, the fingers of one hand tracing over the hard-won muscles of Lance’s chest. “I never imaged you’d grow this strong.”

Lance shrugged against the fine cotton sheets, looking away from those beautiful eyes. “Cosmonaut training’s good for something after all, I guess.”

“I heard about that, also. You did well. It’s a shame the powers that be didn’t want you in their sky.”  
  
“Yeah. Well. Maybe one day I’ll get there.” The sting of that being one-day-never still hadn’t quite faded, and Lance thought sometimes that maybe it never would. He consciously changed his tone for his practiced low rumble of suggestion, letting the casual sweep of his hand brush his fingers over the top of Phillip’s buttocks. “But for right now, there’s lots of other things to do.”

“There always are.” Phillip agreed, suspiciously blandly, before moving suddenly, rolling them both until Lance was pressed face down into the mattress, Phillip’s teeth sharp on the back of his neck and Phillip’s weight heavy across his spread thighs. Lance let himself go limp. This was going to be worth it.

*****

 

***** And a deleted scene, that didn't fit, but I can't bring myself to discard.

*****

Dion was all soft skin and hidden muscle, warm and willing and fuck but his mouth was sweet – red red lips and pale white skin under the sweep of his long hair, and under the moonlight in this plush room Joey could have mouthed his neck, his shoulders, the clean-angled sweep of his shoulder-blades and the dip of his back forever, licking and tasting down, slowly down, while Dion shivered under him, gasping words Joey didn’t understand but knew were ‘good’ or ‘yes’ or something like. His own skin was singing where Dion’s fingers had danced over him moments before, and the taste of the sweet heavy wine that he’d drunk warm from Dion’s mouth was still on his tongue, amongst the sweet musk of Dion’s skin, and the silk velvet of the counterpane brushing his heavy cock was like an echo. When he tongued Dion’s sweet, tight ass, and Dion shuddered, arching up and the bedspread tightened between his knees, Joey felt it full and hot and only the wine he’d drunk kept him from coming right there. And later, when they’d fucked and come and drifted into sleep and back again, they touched, and kissed, gentle without the pressure of climax, just languid and luxuriating, and for months after when Joey was exhausted and aching and lonely, the memories were a talisman that things weren’t always that way.

**Author's Note:**

> Notes, for those not versed in Greek mythology.
> 
> Lance and Poseidon, god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses. Phillip means ‘lover of horses’ and struck me as a plausible contemporary cover name.  
>  Joey and Dionysus, god of wine. Because, yes. Pretty.  
>  Justin with Zeus, and then with Artemis in her aspect of protector of the young. Justin as Ganymede was just too good a thought not to wave at.  
>  JC and Apollo, god of the sun and music.  
>  Chris with Hermes [who is inventor of the musical scale, amongst other things] and Athena. If your mind jumps to Odysseus you would not be alone.
> 
> The title is from the Fagles translation of Oedipus at Colonus : _All that lies before you is hallowed ground / the dread lord Poseidon holds it in his hands._ \- it was that or something from God is a DJ ....


End file.
